In ancient Israel, a wealthy tradesman named Kish discovered that three of his donkeys were missing. These were expensive pack animals that he needed to retrieve. Kish sent his son, Saul, and another worker to search for the animals. What began as a serious family problem ended up providing Israel with its first King.
When he led the children of Israel through the wilderness, right up to the shores of the Jordan River, Moses provided a stern warning to them. He encouraged the Israelites to continue allowing the Lord to be their spiritual King and to establish His kingdom under the law provided on Mount Sinai. Defying God would provoke catastrophic results. Despite this warning the Israelites rebelled ten times over the next 400 years, finally resulting in their cry to the prophet Samuel to “Give us a King!”
This request angered Samuel who knew this was an act of sheer rebellion and an unappreciative national heart. However, God had compassion on Samuel, telling him, “They have not rejected you, they have rejected Me.” (1 Samuel 8:7)
While Saul searched unsuccessfully for the donkeys, eventually turning to Samuel for guidance, God was preparing the prophet to anoint Saul as the first King. The missing donkeys were just a ploy to bring Saul close to Samuel.
Once they connected, Samuel privately anointed Saul as Israel’s first King. He instructed the young man how to find the donkeys with elaborate, prophetic detail. This anointing ushered in a dramatic opportunity for God to touch Saul’s heart.
His transformation caused people to ask, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
What God had preformed internally eventually became externally visible to the people of Israel. Finally, Samuel called together the people of Israel and selected Saul as the new King.
Saul’s confidence was so shattered that he was hiding out amongst certain equipment during this selection process. Some people shouted “Long live the King” and accepted him immediately, while some questioned his credentials.
Although Saul ended his kingly career in great challenges, it began with a simple act of obedience: going to find his father’s lost donkeys. That assignment ultimately positioned him exactly where he needed to be to encounter Samuel.
The Lord often allows potential problems to draw us closer to spiritual solutions. It’s wise to acknowledge that there are no mistakes in God’s Kingdom, only unredeemed opportunities.
Sometimes the assignment that seems to be taking you away from your purpose actually places you on the road God uses to lead you into it.
AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
Have you ever been doing a family errand that later proved to be an unexpected assignment from God?
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